Heart Rhythm Institute
Posted on November 6th, 2016
Obesity rates in the United States continue to increase with about 35% of adults now classified as obese according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Obesity also increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heart rhythm. While AFib on its own is not generally a life... Read More
Posted on October 15th, 2016
Atrial fibrillation or AFib is a specific type of arrhythmia that occurs in the top chambers of the heart. Symptoms may include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, light headedness, dizziness, and sometimes passing out. AFib on its own is not generally life threatening, but patients with AFib do have a higher risk of stroke than the average population.
When assessing a patient... Read More
Posted on October 4th, 2016
Individuals with atrial fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia that occurs in the top chambers of the heart, have a higher risk of stroke than the average population. While AFib on its own is not generally life threatening and can be treated through medication or ablation, most AFib patients will be prescribed a blood thinner to reduce the risk of stroke. There are several options for blood thinners... Read More
Posted on September 15th, 2016
Premature ventricular contractions are extra beats that occur in the lower chambers of the heart, or ventricles. Patients often describe them as feeling like a very hard heartbeat followed by a missed beat, or like a fluttering or pounding in their chest. While not typically life-threatening on their own, frequent premature ventricular contractions can affect the heart’s overall function if... Read More
Posted on September 8th, 2016
Premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs, are a type of heart palpitation where extra beats originate in the bottom chambers of the heart, or ventricles. Single extra beats are called premature ventricular contractions. When multiple extra beats happen together, it becomes non-sustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular tachycardia.
Many patients describe their PVCs as feeling a really... Read More
Posted on August 15th, 2016
Norma first visited the Oklahoma Heart Hospital in 2010. She had been traveling and not feeling very well, so she made an appointment with her primary care physician when she returned home. Her primary care physician diagnosed her with atrial fibrillation and referred her to an Oklahoma Heart Hospital physician immediately. She began taking medications for AFib and also had a mitral valve... Read More
Posted on August 1st, 2016
Regular follow-up appointments are important for patients with pacemakers and defibrillators. When a patient arrives at Oklahoma Heart Hospital or one if its satellite pacemaker clinics for a device follow-up appointment, an assistant takes vital signs, talks with the patient about how they have been feeling, and reviews their current medications.
Then the device technician brings in the cart to... Read More
Posted on July 15th, 2016
Surgical ablation is used to treat atrial fibrillation in patients for whom other treatment options, such as medications and catheter ablation, have not been successful. The Oklahoma Heart Hospital uses two types of surgical ablation: convergent (or hybrid) ablation and Cox Maze IV ablation.
The convergent ablation procedure combines the expertise of a cardiothoracic surgeon and an... Read More
Posted on July 6th, 2016
Surgical ablation is a procedure used to treat atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, is generally not a life-threatening condition on its own, but it puts patients at greater risk for stroke. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, fatigue, light headedness, dizziness and heart palpitations — all of which can impact your daily... Read More
Posted on June 1st, 2016
As you go through a normal day of walking around, taking the stairs, or lifting something heavy, your body makes adjustments to better accomplish each task. For example, your heart rate increases in order to pump more blood to your body as you begin an activity. But if you have a slow or abnormal heart rhythm, the heart doesn’t adequately respond to the situation, which can leave you... Read More